Sarabeth Berman’s Post

Please please read this story linked below. I am so happy to see more mainstream news coverage of the news industry itself in decline. This is very difficult work for journalists to write stories about their own industry, it is incredibly counterintuitive for a traditionally trained journalist to report essentially on themselves. Most journalism classes teach reporters that they are “not the story”…. But this time, we are. It is my sincere hope that corporations across industries, celebrities, politicians, and anyone with money, power, and influence, take on journalism as their nonprofit cause for 2024… That companies and influential people outside of news will take notice, and see what is happening in local newsrooms nationwide, and decide to do something about it. And if you’re just a regular ‘ol normie — what can you do to help? Here are some ideas: 1. Subscribe and donate to your local news outlet. Even if it’s not that good…. It sounds awful but I think many people know what I mean. Local newsrooms have so many challenges financially that local news coverage and quality has suffered. I see it every day. They need money, and support, you can help. 2. Engage with your local news outlet. Send story ideas! Give feedback! Write opinion pieces, letters to the editor. Volunteer to work with them. Engage in any way that works for you. 3. If you work for a corporation, discuss creating donation match programs for your local news outlet. 4. If you own a local business, offer discounts for your goods and services to local journalists — many restaurants offer firefighters and teachers discounts on meals. Extend those offers to working journalists. 5. Sounds dumb but — JUST READ YOUR LOCAL NEWS! Or watch it. And not on social media, but on their websites, tv newscasts, download their apps, subscribe to their newsletters. And if you don’t like it, tell them why! And to all the people with power and influence who want to make a significant impact on the local news industry — let’s talk, I can help. We need more people drawing attention to this horrible situation. I’m a third generation journalist and I want to be able to tell me kids when they get older about how amazing a career in journalism can be — not how sad and horrible it is and not to do it 😩. Want to help? Share this post and my DMs are open. It’s time to build a proper awareness campaign around this problem that every single person will suffer from if the tide doesn’t turn. #journalism #news #democracy #localnews #journalismmatters

Turning a source tracking effort into authentic community engagement is one way to build trust. The next step is talking with your readers about it in ways that asks for their financial support (and getting it). That's a lesson we've learned this year working with newsrooms using Source Matters. A good sign that readers will reward trust and transparency and the hard work of newsrooms to make their journalism more reflective of their whole community.

If you have been following our Need to Know takeover, this post by my colleague Shay Totten will help you see how source tracking can contribute to your sustainability. Your communities will care about this work especially if you are transparent about your results. That can even translate into financial support. Check it out here!

The Latest: A group of 22 foundations have launched Press Forward, a national initiative promising more than $500 million over five years to help revitalize our country’s local news ecosystem and strengthen the civic ties within our communities. "Press Forward will enhance local journalism at an unprecedented level to re-center local news as a force for community cohesion; support new models and solutions that are ready to scale; and close longstanding inequities in journalism coverage and practice." Read more at MacArthur Foundation: https://lnkd.in/gCdJNseu #Press #LocalNews #Journalism #Donors #Community #RebuildLocalNews

Eager to see how Press Forward gains momentum as it gains publicity. Perhaps you read about the efforts of some of the largest philanthropies in the United States to help boost local journalism efforts with an initial fund of $500M. I'm hoping many other philanthropists step up to the plate and bat at this problem. For anyone who is concerned with the spread of disinformation and its troubling effects on democracy, supporting local news is a big part of the answer. It has been shown that in communities with collapsing local news, disinformation thrives and people become more divided. https://lnkd.in/eEUMSqbi

This article is a “must read!” If you care about U.S, democracy, community connection, and civic engagement, help ensure the future of non-profit news…

This is an exciting and much-needed investment. Read the brief article to learn more about the grantees.

The latest in our "Centering Community Voices" series of how newsrooms are using source tracking to improve everything from editorial workflows and story development to community outreach and fundraising. This week, I wrote about how some newsrooms are using American Press Institute's Source Matters tool to help them think about the voices missing from their coverage and using that information to better engage with their community. At a time when trust in media is ebbing, the data and insights that Source Matters provides newsrooms can provide pieces to a complex, and nuanced, puzzle of rebuilding reader trust.

Nonprofit news stands out in the crowded, competitive media landscape! @Institute for Nonprofit News (INN) delivers the facts that keep communities informed, with nearly half of the reporting focusing on local news. 💪📰 Since 2005, INN has grown from 27 to 450 news outlets, filling critical gaps left by a shrinking journalism industry. INN’s 2023 Impact Report showcases record-breaking support: over $330M raised since 2017, with $47M in 2023 alone. This funding fuels deeply reported, data-driven journalism. Learn how INN is shaping the future of news. Check out the full report: https://buff.ly/4aNSv6V #NonprofitNews #ImpactReport #LocalNews #JournalismMatters

A key aspect of community engagement centers on people being able to access information easily and efficiently via local news platforms. Recent research out of Northwestern's State of Local News Project provides a county-by-county snapshot of media outlets across the nation showing how levels of affluence affect access to local journalism. Checked my own experience on this map to see how it tracked — when I worked as a fulltime journalism teacher in uber-affluent Silicon Valley (median 2022 household income, per U.S. census report = ~ $153,000), my immediate surrounding county (Santa Clara county) shows 23 local news outlets. Compare that to my current home of Winnebago County in Illinois (median 2022 household income, per U.S. census report = ~ $61,000): 8 news outlets — primarily broadcast, but also a legacy newspaper a step away from extinction. In the short term, agree that philanthropy may be the necessary stop-gap support required to sustain the "fire line" to slow loss and attrition of local news outlets and help keep local journalism alive, while we collectively figure out a better, sustainable economic model for journalism in years ahead